Knockdown receptacle



May s, 192s. 1,669,300

J. W. HUNTER KNOCKDOWN RECEPTACLE Filed Ausl. 5. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [e .J1/Q

ATTORNEYS fifi unirse: stares; E; o

` Lariano? JAMES W.i-runrrnn, or MOBILE; ALABAMA;

KNocKDowN nEcEPfrAoLE. c

My invention `relates .to improvements in receptacles of 'the class to Whichboxes and crates belong` and 'of the type especially adapted for-the1receptionmf fruits, voges tables and like articlesand; it yconsists in the combinations, constructions and i arrangementsherein described andrclaimed` Any object :of the invention is ftheprovision of a. receptacle ,of the character l described `which: comprises' members detachably connected Without thenise o1t9nai-ls andascrews and adapted to be detached from one another quickly: and 'easily When ,desired and ,stacked so' as to occupy 'a space of but relatively little A'y further object lof 'the invention 'is athe previsioni `of jaknocksdown rreceptacle which comprises members adapted-to be made; ota light gauge metal andv havingainterengaging portions so that the members VWhenfsecured together @vill ybrace each other ,and cooperate to produce a strongfcfand durabletandrabum same time relatively i light' receptacle;

` Other fob'jects 1 and' advantages. of f' the invention vvillrbe apparent `strom fthe l*following description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying. lrdravvi'ngs,fin l lWhich Figure'l is arperspective vievvoffalrnocln down vreceptacle :embodying: thei-njvention, 'in @setup ornassembledform-,ly

Figure 2 'is a 1 horizontalsection through 1 the,y receptacle, v

Figurez is a ,longitudinal verticalI (section through the receptacles Figure et 1s' a perspective group; viewl of ,1

members :of the receptacle Whichfisexhibited in Figure l Withwtherfmembers; separated from one anothemvvlth some'ofrthewfastenn l ingV devices omatted, andvvlthua modified;

form of corner bolt jshown,..

Figurey 5 is a perspective yviewfo? a moditied `tornr o .receptacle embodyingi the y invention and in set-up. position, and

Figure. 6: is ay perspective vievve-off `stilll v another modiiedrform of receptaclei Embodying the invention: and alsoshowln insetaup fposition.y

Referringj now to the drawings, andgmore Y particularly yto- Figures I1 toa," inclusive; it .f

Will'be noted that: a receptacle embodying the invention may Acomprisefa pair fot subc stantia-lly rectangular side. members vl, a pair offsnbstantially rectangular-end members 2,

and a .substantiallyrectangularebot all of plate--lilre-=,1to1-m g and members Lthenhave been;y secured tdthe end `presently described.,

The 1j side members Y l may Il have y, end; .exten- 70 sions bentfoutvvardly and rearwardly along arcsof `a `circle,to-produceI the (vertical eyei members 8which areadapted.to.\,mesh Aor aline with ysimilarly formed vertical eyemembers,9Whichare provided at theiends of.. the endnmembers 2.1 Corner bolts 10Wy c which `may have headslof l anyfusualpshape, suchl ias the slotted 'buttons heads shc/)vvfnfv atgll inFigures 1,2%, 5, andg,"orvhookvshaped head, portionsl as? shovi'znV .at 12 in lfignre 2,4, 80

are adapted to extend;throughalinedye1l kmembers` 8, and 9 and ato., bethreadedly yengaged by nuts 113.` e The ,end members and -V side members thus Will be connected with, the

respective end members, parallel ,andfthe'r'e- 85 spplctive sidenlmbers alsdfparallelgwith each i ot er. c l y The lbottom member 3 ,has endeXtensions ortongueslt,adaptedyto enten and, engage Withhorizontally elongated-,aperturesfior slots L5 infthe end .members 2. n Theslotsl are 1 located 'j ust above y.the level-` of` the shoulders `yrT so l thainthe,endedge portions VH0f ith@ bottom ,3 `at `u`opposite,` sides .of-.the tongues 14 will `rest on the shoulders k7 l andthe sideedge 95 portions of. thebottom will restfonthfeA shpnlders fvvhen thebottom .member y.hasgiirst been placed between` the. .end members c 2 `with theptongues lex/in` the A.slotslwandl the ,side

members, 2 in Y the .f manner f.. which yhas been, hereinbefore describedf` The-@bottom thus braces the side. members :toeeachf othepand the. @edl membets also tol sash *omesso :that the side members f, andend mpembers will; gbe maintained? at' angles,wr/itl1 .each].fotlier, l

The receptacleamayf includelf, a transverse partitionfmember 16 having a` tongue l? A at tslower i edge ,n adaptedy ito enter rand engage with atransverse slet istria thahottomgmam n ber 3. The partition 16 has the upper edge portion thereof bent substantially to circular forni in cross section to produce an eye member 1S) which will be disposed in alinement with openings 2O in the upper edge portions of the side members 1 when the partition member is disposed in vertical position between the side members 1 with the tongue 17v in the slot 18. An upper cross connecting bolt 21 extends through the alined openings 20 and the interposed eye member 19. The bolt 21 is engaged by a nut 22, and binds the upper edge portions of the side members 1 firmly to they partition 16. A lower cross connecting bolt 23, extends through alined openings 24 in the doubled lower edge portions of the side members underneath the tongue 17 and is engaged by a nut 25, thus staying the lower edge portions of the side members to each other and cooperating with theupper cross connect-ing bolt 21 and not 22 to clamp the middle portions of the side members securely to the side edges of the partition and to the bottom 3 and to prevent lateral distortion or bulging of the side members ofthe receptacle in response to internal stresses, as when the receptacle has been filled.

The end members 2 may have extensions at their upper edges bent outwardly and downwardly to produce the handles 2S. If the hooked head type of corner bolt is used the hooks will engage over the corner portions of the receptacle and will be prevented from turning accidentally in such manner as might loosen the bolts from their nuts. The side members, bottom, partition, and end members may be imperforate except for the aforesaid openings and slots as shown. in the box-like structure exhibited in Figures l to 4, inclusive, all of such members or certain. of them may be formed with relatively large open slots or apertures 27 to simulate the appearance and to provide the advantages of a slatted crate as in the structure shown in Figure 5, or all or certain of such members may be provided with the open perforations 28 as shown in the cratelike structure which is exhibited in Figure 6.. `The forms of the device which are exhibited in Figures 5 and (i otherwise are identical in all respects with the form of the device which is illustrated in Figure 1 and the same reference characters therefore have been used to designate like parts of the three forms of the device. From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood.

The receptacle is designed` especially as a field box for use in gathering all kinds of fruits'and vegetables. When the receptacle has served its purpose, the members thereof can he detached` from one another and stored in a relatively small space until the receptacle is to be used again. The receptacle then will be set up or assembled in the inanncr hereinbefore described. lt is intended that the members of the receptacle shall be made of rust-proof relatively strong and light metal'so that the receptacle not only will be lighter in weight and more conveniently portable than a wooden box of the same capacity but also will be capable of unimpaired use for a relatively long time while an ordinary wooden box will last but a relatively short time in service and moreover is likely when damaged slightly to haverough or ragged sides or edges which mar and otherwise damage fruit and vegetables that are contained therein. The improved receptacle will be free from vermin and insects which may enter the usual wooden field boxes and if required, the improved receptacle can be thoroughly and easily cleaned.

Obviously the invention is susceptable of embodiment informs other than those which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and I therefore consider as my own all such modications and adaptations thereof as fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim 1. A knock-down receptacle comprising a pair of vertical side members, a pair of vertical end members, and a bottom, means detachably connecting the side members with the end members to maintain the respective side members parallel with each other and the respective end members parallel with each other, said end members having alined slots adjacent to their lower edges, and tongues on the ends of said bottom member adapted to enter and engage with said alined slots, said end members and said side members having the lower edge portions thereof folded inwardly and upwardly onto the bodies of said end members and said side .members so that the supporting .lower edge portions of said end members and said side members will be of double thickness and to produce shoulders for supporting marginal edge portions of said bottom member.

2. A knock-down receptacle comprising a pair of vertical side members, a pair of vertical end members, and a bottom1r means detachably connecting the side members with the end members to maintain the respective side members parallel with each other, said end members having alined slots adjacent to their lower edges and tongues on.

the ends of said bottom member adapted to enter said slots and removable cross connect ing devices between the upper edges and the lower edges of the middle portions of said side members staying said side members to each other, and a transverse vertical partition having a tongue at its lower edge fitting in a slot in said bottom and having an sides, end members and a` bottom, means detachably connecting said members, the end and side members having their lower edges folded inwardly and upwardly against the bodies thereof to provide reinforced Alower portions thereof and to produce shoulders for receiving and supporting the marginal portions of the bottom.

JAMES W. HUNTER. 

